


Young Again

by calie15



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-17 23:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2326661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calie15/pseuds/calie15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: I was wondering if you could write a jemma x bucky where Jemma gets hit with something sciencey and is regressed into a small child?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Young Again

"What do you mean Jemma is six years old!?" Bucky snapped angrily. Everyone in the room remained silent for a moment at his outburst. He let out a shaky breath and pushed his hair behind his ears as he turned away and stared out of the window to try and collect himself. "What the hell happened?"

"I can explain how later," Fitz said. "But we're getting close. The cure we are working on, it stopped her from regressing further. We know the direction to head in, but it may take some time."

Bucky turned and looked at him. "How much time?"

Fitz looked nervously at Coulson.

"A week or two," Coulson answered. "After that it may take another two weeks to bring her back to her own age."

Bucky looked down and fought for the control he had become so good at.  
"Why didn't I know?"

"She didn't want to tell you," Coulson said gently. "She was worried it might take your your mind off the mission and she was hoping to have it resolved before it got to far. Except after a few days she forgot what she was doing, she wasn't capable of figuring it out."

"She doesn't remember Bucky," Skye said softly, her face holding pity. "She's a six year old little girl. We had to call her parents, they're on their way."

"Can I see her?" He asked, his voice soft and hesitant.

Fitz looked at Coulson who nodded. "You introduce them Fitz," Coulson said, "she seems to trust you."

~~~~~~~~~

They entered a room and there she was on the other side of a glass window. Her back was to him, brown hair hanging past her shoulders. She was small, too small.

"Come on," Fitz said and walked towards the door to her room.

Bucky glanced around at the doctors in the room, the equipment set up to monitor her. It made him sick.

It wasn't until Fitz opened the door that Buck was truly scared. Her head turned as they walked in and she stared up at them from her position on the floor.

"Hey Jemma, what are you doing?"

"An experiment!" She said and looked down at the plastic vials in front of her. "One of the nurses brought me this kit. To be honest, it's quite simple. I'm much more advanced then this."

Despite the situation Bucky smiled. Even at six she was smart and full of herself.

Fitz peered down at what she was working on. "You're right, I'll find you something else in a little while. First, I want wanted introduce you to my friend, his name is Bucky."

Jemma was already looking up at him with wide eyes, then she stood.

"It's nice to meet you," she said and held out a hand.

It was her right hand though, and he was hesitant to reach out his left to her, but she waited. Slowly, he reached out his left hand and she took.

"What happened to your arm?" Jemma asked as she dropped her hand.

Bucky looked at Fitz who shrugged. "I fell."

"It must have been a big fall."

"It was."

She stepped closer and reached out, stopping inches away. "Can I touch it?"

Bucky nodded and watched as her small hand reached out and fingers slid down his arm. It made his chest ache. Then she knocked on it and smiled up at him.

Thirty minutes later he was sitting on the floor with her as she happily began a new experiment, explaining to him in great detail everything she was doing.

If he was sitting with her he was fine, but three hours later her parents arrived and he knew he needed to leave. She waved happily to him after he left and asked him to come back again tomorrow.

He checked in with Fitz one more time before heading home. Home was worse though. Home was where she was supposed to be. They didn't live together, but she would have been there that night. Jemma would have insisted they pick up food, she would have told him in great detail everything she had done while he was gone, and then he would have taken her to bed.

Slowly, Bucky made his way to his own bedroom and flipped on the light and just stared, unable to move, almost scared too. That's when he saw the paper on the bed. At first he was hesitant, scared even as he approached it, but eventually he grasped it and saw his name at the top in familiar handwriting. With a sigh he sat on the bed.

'Bucky,

I'm sorry I didn't tell you. If this note is here then I didn't find a cure before you returned. Fitz will find it though. I promise.

Love Jemma'

It made his heart hurt even more. Angry, Bucky crumbled the paper in his hand and threw it across the floor. Fury built up within him until all that was left to do was stand up and put his fist through the wall. The anger wasn't enough though and eventually he found himself slumped against the wall on the ground and his head hanging low, trying to keep himself from falling apart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three weeks later he found himself standing in front of the same window to her room with his arms crossed watching her sleep.

The room had changed, the toys were gone, replaced with books and a laptop.

She was curled up on the bed facing away from him, but he could see her hair, the longer line of her body.

For hours that morning he waited for her to wake. It was the last dose. Fitz was sure that when she woke she would remember, she would be his Jemma, but her friend still had paced worriedly that night.

Eventually, she turned in the dimly lit room. He couldn't see her face well, but she shifted slightly, then a bit more, and his heart began to race. Suddenly, her hand reached out and she tapped the table next to her bed, causing a lamp illuminating the room, and sat up.

It looked just like her, just like it had the past couple of days, but it still hadn't been her then, not his Jemma.

Then she jumped up and ran for the door, grasping the handle and yanking on it.

"Fitz, I know you're out there. If you don't let me out of this room I will kill you!"

Fitz was the first one to the door and yanked it open. On the other side Jemma smiled, her eyes brightening. "You did it!" She exclaimed. "I knew you could!" And then she threw her arms around him.

Bucky just watched the exchange, his body tense, but also needing to move, needing to touch her. Her eyes found him quickly enough and she pulled away from Fitz and stared at him.

After a brief second her eyes shined with tears. "I'm sorry Bucky, I didn't mean-."

That was all it took though, Bucky took a few hesitant steps forward and she stared up at him at him. Then suddenly she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck. Bucky released a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and lifting her up, knowing her feet would drag the floor.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed into his neck. "I wanted to tell you, but I was scared. I wanted to stop it, but-."

"It doesn't matter," he said and pulled his head back. She looked up at him teary eyed, cheeks wet. Bucky lifted his right hand and pushed her hair away from her face. With another sigh he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss then she was hugging him again, arms tight around his neck.


End file.
